Bottle carrier



Jan. 30, 1951 M. I. WILLIAMSON BOTTLE CARRIER 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 1949 WM 9-. Minimum INVENTOR. 4, M. 0mm PM 6 W JUL 0, 1951 M. n. WILLIAMSON 2,549,066

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed March 30, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 30, 1951 M. I. WILLIAMSON BOTTLE CARRIER 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 30, 1949 INVENTOR.

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BOTTLE CARRIER Filed March 30, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 M. II

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BOTTLE CARRIER Filed March 30, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. /3

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I BOTTLE CARRIER Filed March 30, 1949 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Fig. 11

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Patented Jan. 30, 1951 BOTTLE CARRIER Marshall I. Williamson, New Haven, Conn., as-

slgnor to National Folding Box Company, Inc., New Haven, Coma, a corporation of Connecticut Application March 30, 1949, Serial No. 84,338

This invention relates to improvements in carriers made from foldable sheet material, such as paper-board, for packaging a plurality of bottles, cans, jars, or similar articles as a unit which may easily be carried by the consumer and which, in addition, provides protection for the packaged articles.

In the mass packaging in carriers of goods contained in bottles, cans, and jars it is essential that the carrier is suited for handling on existing commonly established types of machines. Taking a bottle carrier as a specific example, it is necessary for a carrier, in order to be commercially acceptable, that it can be loaded on the machines which are in established use for loading cases partitioned for individual bottles, so that such cases, and casesdesigned to contain carriers may interchangeably be loaded by the same machine.

A modern bottle carrier should desirably be so constructed that it can be produced and shipped by a paper box manufacturer to the bottler or packer in flat, collapsed condition, that it be suited for erection into hollow carrier form by hand or on relatively simple and inexpensive machinery, and that the carrier after-erection will remain in erected position without a tendency to racollapse or distort. This feature is important for the bottler since it facilitates handling of the erected empty carrier and its loading at the bottling plant, and it is important for the consumer, who removes filled bottles and inserts empty ones, either one by one, or all at one time, and who should not be expected to re-erect a partially or entirely collapsed carirer.

There are other features which are desirable, for example, the ability of the carrier safely to support a partial or unequal load, for example, two or three bottles on one side of a central handle and none on the other without danger of dumping the bottles when the carrier is lifted up. Various other features and desirable points will be mentioned as the description proceeds.

The invention provides a carrier for bottles, jars, cans and similar articles which meetsthe specifications heretofore set forth and, in addition, provides numerous other features which n: ake the carrier desirable for the trade.

The various features, objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the detailed description which follows accompanied by drawings showing, for the purpose of illustration, a preferred embodiment of the invention. The invention also consists in certain new and 6 Claims. ((1224-45) original features of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the characteristic features of the invention which are believed to be novel will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, its objects and advantages and the manner in which it may be carried out may be better understood by referring to the description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of it in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a flat blank from which a carrier body embodying the present invention may be made; a

Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank shown in Figure 1 after an initial folding operation and application of adhesive;

Figure 3 is an end view of the blank shown in Figure 2 after a furtherifolding operation which results in the formation of a tubular flat structure;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the blank of Figure 3 after squaring into hollow container form;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the squared blank ofFigure 4 in the process of folding of its cellular top structure;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the completed carrier with a wire handle attached to it;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a wire handle for the carrier;

Figure 8 is a sectional side view illustrating the insertion of the handle into the carrier body;

Figure 9 is an end view of the carrier of Figure 8 loaded with bottles;

Figure 10 is a plan view of a flat blank from which a carrier with an integral handle may be formed;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the carrier made from the blank of Figure 10; Figure 12 is a detailed end view of the handle portion of the carrier in'extended position; and Figure 13 is an end view of the handle portion of Figure 12 in depressed position. 4 f The blank A shown in Figure 1 may be cut and scored in multiple from large rolls or sheets of foldable sheet material, such as-paperboard, on automatic cutting and scoring machines. The several constituent parts of the. blankare set apart by fold or crease lines. Since the blank A is symmetrical with respect to a center fold line 10, it will suflice to describe one half f the blank only, it being understood, that the. other half of the blank isof identical construction. Identical reference characters are applied to the corresponding elements of thetwo halves of the 3 blank lying to either side of the center fold line Ill.

The blank comprises a center panel H, a bottom panel l2. a side wall panel B, a top panel l4 and a glue flap I5 separated by fold lines l6. l1, I8 and I9. respectively. An auxiliary fold line 20 may extend across the bottom panel l2 to permit convenient collapsing of the glued blank into flat condition, as will later appear. Elongated apertures 2|, 2|, 22 and 22 are cut into the center panels and the glue flaps, respectively. These elongated apertures register when the blank is folded, as will later appear.

The top panel I4, adjoining portions of the side wall panel l3, and the glue flap l5 are cut and scored to provide a cellular web structure. Cuts 23, 24 and 25 extend normal to the fold lines l8 and I8. These cuts separate the stock into webs 28, 21, 28 and 29 which, after appropriate folding, form article receiving cells, as will later appear.

The webs are foldable at a plurality of fold lines. These fold lines include diagonal or oblique fold lines 30, 3|, 32, 33, 34 and 85 extending from the ends of the cuts 23, 24, and 25 to the transverse fold line i8, preferably at an angle of 45 degrees. Similar diagonal fold lines 38. 51, 38, 39, 40 and 4| extend from the other ends of the cuts 28, 24 and 25 to the transverse fold line I8, and preferably include between themselves the same angles as the fold lines 30, 3|,82, 38, 84 and 25.

The webs 28 and 29 constitute terminal webs, since they lie at the outer edges of the blank. The webs 21 and 28 constitute intermediate webs. These intermediate webs comprise ridge fold lines 42 and 48 to provide for double thickness of the intermediate webs, as will later appear.

Folding of the web structures is facilitated by a plurality of crease lines 44, 45, 45, 41, 48 and 49. These crease lines criss-cross the top panels l4 and subdivide the several webs into substantially triangular portions between the fold lines l8 and I5. It is evident that the angle at which these crease lines intersect depends entirely on the width of the panel |4 measured between the fold lines I8 and I9. For this reason the crease lines are not necessarily aligned with the oblique fold lines 30 to 4|.

The assembly of a carrier body from the blank A may proceed as follows:

As a first operation adhesive a is applied to the glue flaps l5 and the blank is folded about the fold lines l9, it being optional whether folding or application of adhesive takes place first. The folded blank with adhesive applied is shown in Figure 2.

Thereafter the blank is further folded about the auxiliary fold lines 20 to bring the end portions of the glue flaps I5 into adhesive engagement with the center panels H. The result is a flap collapsed tubular structure A as shown in Figure 3, which is ready for expansion into hollow carrier form. Flat tubular blanks a may be stored and shipped to the user in flat condition. They require a minimum of space and may be set up into hollow carrier form by performance of a few relatively simple assembling operations which may be performed at the plant of the packer or bottler. These assembling operations will now be described.

The blank A is first squared to assume a substantially rectangular shape A" as shown in Figure 4. In performing the squaring operation, it is optional whether the bottom panels l2 are flattened out at the auxiliary fold lines 28 and 4 the blank is creased at the fold lines IT. or whether the stock is left uncreased at I! for the time being, as illustrated, since insertion of the bottles into the carrier automatically causes the at the fold lines l8 and H as shown in Figure 5.

Simultaneously the tria .gular center portions of the webs are raised up and form upwardly projecting peaks, as is clearly apparent in Figure 5.

Pressure is then exerted in a vertical downward direction against the peaks, as indicated by arrows P in Figure 5, causing the web assemblies to snap inwardly and assume the position shown in Figure 6 in which individual cells are formed to either side of the center partition The terminal webs 25 and 29 are of single thickness, and the intermediate webs 21 and 28 are of double thickness, folded back-to-back at ridge fold lines 42 and 43.

As a result, the top of the carrier is transformed into two web structures lying to either side of the center fold line I0. Each web structure' comprises three cells adapted to receive three bottles. cans, Jars or other pieces of merchandise.

In the completed carrier body A' shown in Figure 6, each web is seen to comprise two end portions which are folded back against the side wall II and the glue flap |5 respectively from which they were formed. These end portions lie on the inside of the cells and assist, in the manner of a funnel, in guiding bottles, cans and jars vertically into seating position within the cells. The intermediate portions of each web extend at right angles with respect to the side walls and run from the side walls H to the center partition I I. These intermediate portions are of single thickness in the outermost webs and are of double thickness in the intermediate webs 21 and 28, since the latter webs are formed by folding the stock back upon itself along the ridge fold lines 42 and 42.

The carrier body A' shown in Figure 6 is quite rigid and will not recollapse unless the webs are folded back into the position which they originally assumed in the expanded tubular blank A" shown in Figure 4.

Resistance to recollapsing is a very desirable feature since it causes the cells of the carrier to remain properly squared at all times without external restraint.

The carrier unit A' may be combined with a wire handle 50 which is suitably hooked onto the carrier body. The handle is shown in detail in Figure 7. It comprises a central handle portion 52 from which two legs 52 and 54 depend downwardly. The legs 53 and 54 are bent back upon themselves at 55 and 58 to form hook portions. The ends of the hook portions are bent outwardly at 51 and 58 to facilitate assembly with the carrier body. The space between the bent back portions of the legs is preferably equal to approximately six times the thickness of the sheet material, since it engages the carrier body at a portion of six ply thickness. This is clearly apparent from Figure 8 which shows the ar- ,rangement of the panels at the point of engagement with the handle.

The handle is assembled with the carrier body by inserting its hook shaped portions 55 and 50 through the elongated apertures 2| and 22. For insertion, the handle is held at an angle with respect to'the vertical until its lower ends I! and 56 come to rest against the bottom panel l2 and the side wall panel it near the fold line 20. When the handle is then lifted up it hooks on to the carrier body as shown in Figure 6. At the point of engagement there are two thicknesses of the center panel ll, two thicknesses of the glue flaps l5, and two thicknesses of the ends of the webs 21 which are folded back upon the glue flaps l making a total of six thicknesses.

The blank is preferably laid out so that the lower edges of the webs produced by the out are in substantial coincidence with the ends of the elongated apertures 2| and 22 which also register with the upper ends of the elongated apertures 2| and 22', so that the hook shaped handle portion bears not only against the stock at the ends of the cuts 2| and 22, but also bears against the lower edges of the end portion of the webs 21 and 28.

An incidental result of this construction is the clamping together of the intermediate webs of the carrier body by the handle. This causes the webs 21 and 28 to act as braces for the outer side walls It with respect to the center panels ll, so that the outer side walls l3 are prevented from bellying out along the center portion under the load of bottles or other contents.

The length of the hook portions of the handle 50 is preferably so selected that the handle can be depressed until its lower end strikes the bottom panels I: without disengagement of the end portion 51 and 58 from the webs 21 and 28. The depressed position is indicated in dash dot lines in Figure 6. Its purpose is the displacement of the handle into a position in which it will not interfere with the stacking of loaded carriers, one on top of the other. It is a practice customary in the beverage industry to stack carriers so that the bottom of the topmost carrier rests on the necks of the bottles of the carrier underneath. The movability of the handle 50 in a vertical direction permits this.

It is easily apparent that the carrier shown in Figure 6 has great rigidity and strength, remains properly squared once it is set up and permits carrying of uneven loads. For example, three bottles or less may be carried on one side and none on the other without danger of distortion of the carrier and resultant dumping of the bottles.

Referring now to Figure 9, it is seen that the carrier body engages the bottles underneath the neck portion approximately at the area of greatest diameter, whereby the bottles of adjacent carriers, as well as the bottles within each carier, are protected against glass-to-glass contact.

Experience has indicated the desirability of making the side walls of slightly different dimensions than the center walls, and to make the bottom panels of slightly different dimensions than the top structure. This is particularly apparent from Figure 9 and is also shown in Figure 1. Preferably the center panels ll areg made slightly taller than the outer side walls I1; and it is advantageous to make the top panels it slightly narrower than the bottom panels l2. when the loaded carrier is lifted up by the handie the bottom panels will remain substantially horizontal, whereas-the top structures will slope slightly outwardly and downwardly. This causes the top structures to exert a certain pull upon the outer side walls I! to aid in supporting the portion of the load carried by the outer side walls. This support would not be availableto its. full extent if the outer side walls ll were as tall as the center panels and if the top structures were parallel to the bottom panels.

The sloping of the top structures, furthermore. causes a slight decrease in the width of the cells measured from the center wall panels to the outer side wall panels. This, in turn, produces a gripping or clamping action of the top structures on the bottles when the carrier is lifted up by the handle. The gripping action, however, is nearly absent when the carrier is placed on a horizontal surface, so that it does not interfere with the feeding of bottles into the cells.

The aforementioned unequality in the dimensions of the panels requires the presence of the auxiliary collapsing creases 20, since obviously the tubular blank could not be folded flat, if the collapsing creases 20 were absent.

As previously stated, it is not necessary to flatten out the bottom panels l2 at the collapsing creases and to crease the blank at the fold lines I1 prior or during formation of the cellular top structures. The blank may remain creased at the auxiliary fold lines 20 and flat at the bottom fold lines l'lllilt-il bottles, cans, jars are actually loaded into the carrier. When this is being done the creases ll break automatically, as is quite apparent from Figure 9, since the distance between the fold lines It and 20 is not sufhcient to accommodate the bottoms of the bottles. The bottles, therefore, will automatically cause the blank to fold at the bottom fold lines II when the bottles are dropped into the carrier.

Instead of combining the carrier body with a separate wire handle as shown in Figure 6, the blank may be shaped to provide an extended center portion which forms the handle. Figure 11 is a perspective view of a carrier so constructed.

Basically, a, carrier of the general appearance of that of Figure 11 could be constructed simply by extending the center panels ll of the previously described form of carrier. Since, however, due to the folding of the blank the inside surface of the board, which is generally unfinished, would be exposed as the outside surface of the extended center portion, it is preferable to construct the center wall of the carrier somewhat differently.

Referring to Figure 11 the handle portion of the blank is folded back upon itself along a center fold line Ill. Beginning at Ill the center wall comprises two upper panel portions 59 running to fold lines Gil, two intermediate panel portions 6| extending to fold lines 62 and two main panel portions 63 running to fold lines 64 along which the stock is folded back upon itself to form inner panels 65 corresponding to the flaps 15 of blank A shown in Figure l.

The cellular top structure of the carrier of Figure 11 corresponds in all respects to that of the carrier shown in Figures 1 to 10, and a repeated description of its construction and'formation is ot required. Lower center panels 66 extend from the bottom panels i2 upwardly along the fold lines l6 and their ends rest between the folded back portions 63, 65 of the upper portion of the center panel structure. The ends of the lower center panels 66 are either glued or stapled to the panels 63 and 65 and the upper center panels 63 and 65 are preferably stapled together at 81 as is also apparent from Figures 12 and 13.

Since the construction of the carrier 3" is clearly apparent from Figure 11 it will suffice to limit the illustration and description of its blank B to the center portion of the blank shown in Figure 10. Finger grip apertures 68 are formed on the carrier handle by cuts 69 extending from, and ending at, the fold lines 60. These cuts form flaps l foldable back upon the panels 59 about the fold lines 60 to lie on the inside of the carrier handle as is shown in Figure 12.

Referring now to figures 11, 12, and 13, it will be seen that the handle portion of the carrier is depressible into a position below the tops of the bottles in a. similar manner as the vertically movable wire handle shown in Figure 9. The center portion of the carrier B may be shortened by infolding of its upper panel portions 59 about the fold lines 80 as shown in Figure 13. As this is done, the two panels 59 also are folded about the center fold line in in a reverse sense. During the folding which reduces the height of the center panel, the flaps I0 re-enter the apertures from which they were cut. These flaps may be loose, hinged solely along their fold lines 60, or they may be glued back against the inside surface of the upper panel portion 59. This is entirely optional.

The invention thus provides a relatively simple, but sturdy and eflicient carrier for bottles or other forms of merchandise. The carrier is attractive, and requires a minimum of stock. Its folding and setting up operations are simple, and its strength is great, so that it will serve a number of round trips between bottling plant and consumer.

What is claimed is:

l. A carrier for a plurality of bottles, cans, or similar articles arranged in two rows, the carrier consisting of a single blank of foldable sheet material creased along fold lines setting apart the several constituent parts of the carrier, the carrier comprising, a pair of outer side wall panels; a center partition consisting of two center panels hingedly connected along a top fold linfe;."

to an outer side wall panel and one center panel, I

respectively, along fold lines; and a cellular top structure dividing the space between the center partition and the outer side wall panels into individual article receiving cells, said top structure comprising webs extending at substantially right angles to the side wall panels and said partition, said webs being integral with said side walls and extending hingedly from said side walls along diagonal fold lines, the end portions of the webs being folded back upon said side walls along said diagonal fold lines, said top structure including terminal webs lying at the ends of the structure and intermediate webs lying between the terminal webs, the terminal webs being of single thickness and the intermediate webs being of double thickness, the two thicknesses being folded backto-back along a crease line forming the ridge of the web, the bottom panels maintaining the side panels in a set position in which the webs are at right angles to the side panels and to the bottom panels and said cells are squared.

2. A carrier for a plurality of bottles, cans, or similar articles arranged in two rows, the carrier consisting of a single blank of foldable sheet material creased along fold lines setting apart the several constituent parts of the carrier, the carrier comprising a pair of outer side wall panels; a center partition consisting of two center panels hingedly connected along a top fold line; a bottom consisting of two separate bottom panels, each bottom panel being hingedly connected to an outer side wall panel and one center panel, respectively, along fold lines; and a cellular top structure dividing the space between the center partition and the outer side wall panels into individual article receiving cells, said top structure comprising webs extending at substantially right angles to the side wall panels and said partition and connecting said side wall panels with said partition, each web having two end portions folded back upon the respective side wall panel and the respective center panel about a diagonal fold line and overlying the side wall panel and the center panel on the inside of the cells, said webs further including a central portion intermediate said end portions extending substantially at right angles to said end portions from the side wall to the respective center panel, the bottom panels maintaining the side wall panels and the center panels in a set position in which the webs are at right angles to the side panels and said cells are squared.

3. A carrier for a plurality of bottles, cans, or similar articles arranged in two rows, the carrier consisting of a single blank of foldable sheet material creased along fold lines setting apart the several constitutent parts of the carrier, the carrier comprising, a center wall consisting of two center panels folded back-to-back about a top fold line; a pair of bottom panels hingedly extending outwardly from the bottom of the center panel; a pair of outer side wall panels hingedly extending upwardly from the outer edges of the bottom panels respectively; and webbed top structures connecting the upper edges of said side wall panels with said center panels and dividing the spaces between the center panels and the outer side wall panels into individual article receiving cells, each of said top structures comprising webs extending at substantially right angles to the side panels and the center panels, each web having two end portions back upon the respective side wall panel and the respective center panel along diagonal fold lines to overlie the side wall panel and the center panel on the inside of the cells, said webs further including a central portion intermediate said end portions extending substantially at right angles to said end portions from the side wall to the respective center panel, the webs lying at the ends of the topstructure being of single thickness, and the webs intermediate the end webs being of double thickness, the two thicknesses being folded 'back-to-back along a crease line forming the ridge of the web.

4. A carrier for a plurality of bottles, cans, or similar articles arranged in two rows, the carrier consisting of a single blank of foldable sheet material creased along fold lines setting apart the several constituent parts of the carrier, the carrier com-prising, a center wall comprising two upper center panels folded back-to-back about a top fold line; a pair of inner side wall panels extending from the bottom edges of said upper center panels along fold lines, said inner side wall panels being folded back upon and secured to. the center panels; a pair of lower center panels terminating between said upper center panels and secured thereto, said lower center panels extending downwardly of said inner side wall panels; a pair of bottom panels integral with, and outwardly extending from said lower center panels along inner bottom fold lines; a pair of outer side wall panels integral with said bottom panels and upwardly extending from said bottom panels along outer bottom fold lines; and a pair of cellular top structures integral with said inner and said outer side wall panels and extending therebetween to subdivide the space therebetween into individual article receiving cells, said top structures comprising webs extending substantially at right angles to said side wall panels, each web having two end portions folded back upon the respective side wall panel about a diagonal fold line and overlying the side wall panel on the inside of the cells, said webs further including a central portion intermediate said end portions, said central portion extending substantially at right angles to said end portions between said side panels, the bottom panels maintaining the side walls in a set position in which the webs are at right angles to the side panels and said cells are squared.

5. A carrier body for a plurality of bottles, cans, or similar articles arranged in two rows, the body consisting of a single blank of foldable sheet material creased along fold lines setting apart the several constituent parts of the body, the body comprising, a center wall consisting of two integral center panels folded back-to-back about a to fold line; a pair of bottom panels integral with, and extending from, said center panels outwardly at inner bottom fold lines; a pair of outer side wall panels integral with, and upwardly extending from the bottom panels at outer bottom fold lines; cellular top structures integral with, and extending from, said outer side wall panels towards said center panels; and a marginal end portion of the blank integral with, 4

and extending from, each of said cellular top structures and lying face-to-face with the center panel closest to the respective top structure,

said blank end portions being secured to said center panels, said cellular top structures comprising webs extending substantially at right angles to said side panels and subdividing the space between the center wall and said side panels into individual article receiving cells, each web having two web end portions folded back upon the respective side panel and the respective marginal blank end portion along diagonal fold lines to overlie the inside of the wall panel and the blank end portion on the inside of said cells, said webs further including a central portion intermediate oi, and integral with, said web end portions, extending substantially at right angles to said center wall, said center wall having two apertures in it extending substantially to the lower edge of the end portion of certain of said webs for attachment of a wire handle to said carrier body.

6. A carrier for a plurality of bottles, cans, or similar articles comprising the body structure as set forth in claim 5 and a handle insertable through' said apertures, said handle being of wire and comprising a central handle portion from which two legs depend, the ends of the legs being bent back upon themselves to form hooks ins'ertable through said apertures to receive portions of said apertured center wall and certain of said web end portions at their bottom edge between the bent back legs of the hooks, whereby a plurality of thicknesses of sheet material is engaged by said handle.

MARSHALL I. WILLIAMSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,354,528 Lowey et a1 July 25, 1944 2,457,307 Hall et a1 Dec. 28, 1948 

